The Art of Walking Away
by SomedayonBroadway
Summary: "Every newsie that could walk was out selling papers." Just a little look into the morning before after the brawl.


**Hello friends! This is another request. This was was requested by Janis Campbell a long time ago. It was a request to see the newsies before King of New York, an idea that sparked off of Jack's line that "Every newsie that could walk was out there sellin' papes!" **

**So, I hope you all enjoy!**

It wasn't like they wanted to be doing this. What choice did they have? They were just some angry kids with no money, no leverage and no leader.

"Aww lookie what we have here..."

The voice was not welcome amongst the small crowd of boy outside the gate of their only source of work. There were plenty of them. Every newsie that could still walk. Though, others weren't there because of the injuries they'd sustained during the brawl the day prior.

At the front of it all was a terrified second in command who was doing all he could not to let his fear shine through his piercing blue eyes. He said nothing. A rarity for him, if David was correct. Race was supposed to be the smart mouthed one. The one who always had something to say.

But David had heard him when he'd locked himself in the bathroom of the Lodging House the night prior. He'd been sobbing at the news of Jack and Crutchie both being unaccounted for. The poor kid was terrified. He wasn't ready to lead yet. And David couldn't blame him. This was anything but easy.

"Oscar, look at who's crawlin' back ta us," one of the brothers mocked as they began unlocking the gates to let the boys in. David watched, too nervous to speak up. Racetrack just glared.

The other brother- Oscar- smirked too much. Racetrack scowled at him, clenching his jaw so he bit on the unlit cigar that always seemed to be between his teeth. "Aww what's the matta' Higgins?" he teased, opening up the gates, but only enough to fit his body through. He blocked their entrance. And the temporary leader could only glare. "That punch knock you's brain outta place 'r somethin'?"

Still, nothing was shot back. And all the others looked even more pale than they had this morning as the two brothers simply laughed at them. If anything Jack had told him was correct, these boys would certainly prove to be a problem. They wouldn't leave them alone today.

Soon enough, David found himself in a short line for papes. He wished beyond anything that his little brother was here, his optimistic smile and fighting spirit there to cheer these kids up, to cheer _him_ up. Ma had said that Les wasn't going selling that day. Not with his arm like it was. Just a little twisted, but his mother was worried.

His heart ached when he remembered these kid's reaction to him having a mother. They didn't have that. He hated to think how many of them were out here with hurting arms and legs and no one to tell them to go back to bed or lay down. It wasn't like they could anyhow. They were hungry. Most of them hadn't eaten for at least two days. Majority of them for more than that.

The line moved slowly and everything was eerily quiet. It was odd. David had only been around for a few days, but he knew these kids well enough to know that they were the ruckus of Manhattan. The streets weren't the same without the havoc they rained on them.

"20 papers please," David asked dryly when he made it to the front of the line. He was trying to ignore the fact that Race and Albert were now being pushed and shoved by the Delanceys. Race was not shoving back. Something was wrong. Albert was trying to get them off, but it wasn't working.

He looked back at the man at hand, the one in charge of giving him his papes for too much money. The boy did a double take. The man- Weasel, as the boys called him- would not look up at him. Instead he chose to stare down at the papers until it was clear that David wasn't taking them. When that man looked up, something in his eyes glistened.

This man was scared.

David felt something in his heart beating a little bit stronger. "Actually... never mind..." he stated, sliding his coin back off the counter and ignoring the shake in his legs as he felt eyes glaring at the back of him. He walked over to where Racetrack and Albert were still trying to get passed the two awful brothers who always had to give them such a hard time.

"C'mon Racey... what's a matta'?" one of them teased as Albert tried to shove them away. Racetrack just stood, seething. He was angry, but the fear seemed to be winning out. He couldn't move. "Afraid ta get your ass kicked again?"

David stood behind the newsie's second. He placed a hand on his shoulder, letting the kid know he wasn't alone. It was something that he'd seen Jack do quite a few times for plenty of the kids here.

That seemed to give the boy the courage to ask a single question. "Where in the hell is Jack?" David shouldn't have been shocked. Jack was a brother, a best friend and so much more to so many of the boys that surrounded him. They were terrified without him.

But the laugh that escaped Oscar was enough to make Race flinch and David retracted his touch. "What, you think we took him back ta Snyder?" When both of the boys stiffened at that name, it was clear the kid had his answer. "Nah, he ran off the second he saw him. Probably halfway ta that dump out west he's always talkin' 'bout..." the boy smirked.

Race was not amused. The second the words left his mouth, the boy's fifty papes were on the ground. "You son of a-" David didn't care to hear the rest as the boy pounced, finally giving in and tackling Oscar to the ground. The other boy didn't stand a chance beneath him. Albert tried to hold Morris back as he went to intervene. The older boy was stronger than him. He got to Race easily. The hard part was pulling him off of his little brother.

The young newsie didn't allow himself to move until he'd socked Oscar in the nose, making it bleed. "What the hell, Higgins?!"

"Jack ain't a coward!" he yelled. By now, every boy in line was frozen, watching the scene unfold in front of them. "He'd neva' run like that!"

"Well it's eitha' that, 'r your pal's in the basement with the Spider right now. Otha' wise he'd be here, wouldn't he?" Morris commented, shoving Race backwards into David who caught him before his head could hit the ground.

It was odd to David that they also referred to the man all these kids feared as "The Spider." It meant they were scared of him too. And that was something that scared David. "Race, I'm sure Jack is fine-"

"Only a few of us need ta sell t'day," Race spit out, pulling away from the new kid with ease as he stood to his feet and grabbed his papers off the ground. "You did good walkin' away, Davey... some of ya can. But we need some money right now..." he explained. David was close enough to see the tears in his eyes. No one else was. "Specs, Albert, Henry, we's gonna sell t'day! The rest a' you's, ya can walk away..."

That was it. That was all Race had to say.

David hoped he found Jack soon. While this boy knew what he was doing, he wasn't ready yet. He hadn't expected to be in charge so soon and that scared him.

But when those boys did as they were told, David snuck a glance back at Weasel himself. He was nervous. This was not over.

He had to find Jack.

**There you have it, folks! This was just a short, fun little oneshot to write. I really enjoyed it! **

**Be on the look out for another request! It should be up pretty soon! **

**As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, fansies! **


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